Low Sunday

Low Sunday John 20.19

To day is often referred to as Low Sunday which seams very strange as the title seams to have no connection to the readings for today.

A priest a number of years ago explained why to day is called Low Sunday to me as follows:

“Easter is the most importance feast in the Churches calendar, as without the events of Easter we have no Church.

So the Sunday after Easter always seams low in comparison to the celebration of Easter”

In some churches their Easter service can last for up to two hours and is sometimes held at midnight, or even split between the Saturday evening and the Sunday morning.

The service would start with the lighting of a small fire outside the church from a piece of flint, then the Easter Candle would be lit from the fire and then taken in to the church for the rest of the service.

I am not going to explain the rest of the service to you as it would take to long.

In today’s Gospel John, gives us an account of Jesus first appearance to His disciples, on that first Easter Day the Day which he rose from the dead.

Jesus had sent His disciples the news of His resurrection via Mary of Magdala; but to show His love for them, and confirm their faith in Him, He needed to see them Himself.

To give them all the proof that they could want, so that they might not have it second hand, but be themselves eye-witnesses of His resurrection.

So that they could testify to the world what they had seen, and build Christ’s Church upon that testimony.

The infallible proof of Jesus’ resurrection was that he showed himself alive to His Disciples.

This appearance of Jesus was on the same day that He rose from the dead, being the first day of the week, the day after the Jewish Sabbath, He showed himself to ten of His disciples, in a locked room.

Thomas was not with the disciples at this point in time but meets Jesus later and Judas Iscariot was of course now dead.

This appearance that Jesus made to his disciples was on the first day of the week, and it should have been sufficient for John to say in his Gospel that Jesus appeared the same day at evening; but John wanted, to give the day a great honour by repeating what he has already said, “being the first day of the week”

The first day of the week is the only day of the week, or month, or year, that is ever mentioned by number in all the New Testament; and this is several times spoken of as a day religiously observed.

The disciples met in a locked room to pray together or perhaps they met to compare notes, and consider whether they had sufficient evidence of Jesus’ resurrection from what Mary had told them.

However they needed to consider what they should now do, whether they should keep together or scatter.

They met to give each other support and try and put a plan together, if help was need by the disciples, it was now.

This meeting was in private, because they dare not appear publicly, especially together.

They met in a house, but they kept the doors locked, so that they might not be seen together, and so that no one could join them, for they feared the Jews who would treat them as criminals.

When they were assembled, Jesus came among them even, though the doors were locked.

Jesus knew how to enter the room without any noise, and come in so that they might not hear him.

He greeted His disciples with the words,”Peace be unto you”.

The greeting was common, but the sense was now different.

Jesus had given them his peace before, when He was trying to explaining to them what was going to happen to Him.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (14.27)

Jesus sudden appearing in the midst of them when they were full of doubts concerning Him, full of fears concerning themselves, and now possible fear from someone who had entered the locked room, but Jesus calms the situation with His words, “Peace be unto you”.

They now saw Jesus alive whom multitudes had seen dead three days before.

Now the only doubt that the disciples had was whether this was the same person that they had seen Crucified a few days earlier.

None of them could desire any further proof than the scars, wounds and marks of the crucifixion that Jesus showed them on His body.

They were now convinced that this was the risen Jesus so their faith was confirmed.

Then Jesus gave the disciples that great commission by saying to them; “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you”.

Jesus appointed His disciples to carry on with His work upon earth, and the spreading of His Gospel, with the setting up of his Church.

Christ sent them out authorized with a divine warrant, armed with a divine power, as ambassadors and heralds of peace, as servants of Christ.

From henceforth they were called Apostles, which means, men sent.

He breathed on them, not only to show them by His breath that He himself was really alive, but to signify to them the spiritual life and power which they will receive from Him for all the work that lay before them.

As the breath of God gave life to Adam and began the old world, so the breath of the Jesus Christ gave life to his Apostles, to begin the new world.

The Spirit which the Apostles received was the gift of Jesus Christ himself.

The Apostles communicated the Holy Spirit to others by the laying on of hands, those hands being first lifted up in prayer,

for they could only beg this blessing for others, and carry it as messengers.

Jesus conferred His (the Holy) Spirit on the Apostles by breathing on them, for he is the author of the gift, and from Jesus it comes originally.

Jesus gives them assurance of the Spirit’s aid in their future work, in the execution of the commission now given them: "I send you, and you shall have the Spirit to go along with you.’’

Now the Spirit of the Lord rested upon them to qualify them for all the services that lay before them.

Whom Christ employs he will clothe with his Spirit, and furnish with all needful powers.

Jesus also told them that "Whosesoever sins you remit, in the due execution of the powers you are entrusted with, they are remitted to them, and they may take the comfort of it.

Whosesoever sins you retain, that is, pronounce unpardoned and the guilt of them bound on, they are retained, and the sinner may be sure of it, to his sorrow.’’

The Apostles on that first Easter Day had been give a very great authority and a direct command by Jesus personally, to carry on with His work upon earth, and the setting up of His Church.

Even thou Jesus had breathed on them and given them such great authority to do His work; they had still to wait for God to send them the Holy Spirit before they could start their great mission.

From what at first seamed a total disaster for eleven men has turned in to the greatest triumph in the history of the world.

From what started in a small room in Jerusalem two thousand years ago, Christ Church has spread all over the world.